This invention relates to apparatus for inserting displation type terminals into the cavities in a workpiece such as a motor stator, a coil bobbin, or any other electrical component having a coil winding thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,908 discloses and claims a known type of insertion apparatus for performing this general type of terminal insertion operation.
The term "displation" has been coined to identify and describe that type of wire connection in which the wire is moved relatively into a narrow slot in a terminal, the width of the slot being such that the edges of the slot penetrate the insulation of the wire and establish electrical contact with the conducting core of the wire. A wide variety of displation type contact terminals are now known to the electrical industry and this method of making electrical connections is rapidly being applied to numerous new electrical connection problems. U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,908 discloses an apparatus for inserting terminals which are particularly intended for establishing electrical connections with the wires of coil windings such as are used in motor stators, induction coils, and elsewhere. In general, the terminal shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,908 comprises a U-shaped member having a pair of parallel plate sections connected by a bight. A relatively wide gap or opening is provided in the bight and slots are provided in the plate sections which extend to the gap or opening so that the wire can be moved laterally of its axis through the opening and into the wire-receiving slots. When the wire is of the type used for in a coil winding, it will have a varnish type insulation thereon, such as a polyvinyl formal resin and this insulation is penetrated by the edges of the slots in the terminal. The apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,908 is, as mentioned previously, particularly intended to insert terminals into a plastic frame or housing of a stator; the wire from the stator winding is positioned with its axis extending transversely of a cavity in the plastic stator frame and as the terminal is pushed into the cavity, the wire is moved relatively into the slot in the terminal. An end portion of the wire is trimmed by a shearing blade and the cut end is dragged into the cavity so that this cut is not exposed after the terminal is fully inserted.
The apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,908 is being widely used in the electrical industry, particularly in the manufacture of electrical motors and has prooved to be highly successful. However, this apparatus has certain limitations which restrict its use under many of the circumstances and working conditions under which displation type connections are mated to the wires of coil windings.
The instant invention is directed to the achievement of an improved terminal insertion apparatus for inserting terminals into a winding support and which can be used under a wide range of conditions. Thus the invention is directed to an extremely compact apparatus which can be mounted on a work bench and manually operated; that is, under circumstances where the operator places the individual workpiece on the apparatus, actuates the apparatus, and removes the workpiece from the apparatus after the wire terminations have been made. The invention is further directed to the achievement of an apparatus which can be mounted adjacent to, or on, a fully automatic assembly machine so that it might become an integrated part of the machine; thus, apparatus in accordance with the invention can be mounted adjacent to a bobbin winding machine having work transfer means for transferring the workpiece to the terminal insertion apparatus after the winding has been placed on the bobbin so that the electrical connections to the winding can be made immediately after the coil winding step has been carried out. The high degree of versatility is achieved by virtue of an arrangement of the parts and a reassignment of the functions of the parts which results in an extremely compact apparatus which lends itself to the widespread useage or useage under widely varying conditions.
Other features of apparatus in accordance with the invention are its adaptability to workpieces of many different sizes and shapes such as coils wound on bobbins, motor stators, relay devices, and so on. The time interval required for the apparatus to carry out its operating cycle is also shortened as compared with previously known insertion apparatus and the cycle itself is devided or split in a way such that the workpiece, for example, the coil bobbin, can be mounted on, or removed from, the apparatus, while the machine is going through a portion of its cycle.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for inserting displation type terminals into an insulating support or housing such as a plastic coil bobbin. A further object is to provide a machine which can be used under a wide variety of conditions. A further object is to provide a versatile machine which can be used with a wide variety of terminal types or sizes. A further object is to provide an extremely compact machine having improved actuating means which can be readily serviced or adjusted for different operating conditions.